Participants at a conference in Islamabad on Wednesday agreed that development of soft power, sustained macro-economic stability and conflict-free environment are the keys to progress nowadays.
Pakistan can learn lessons from Brazil, which has pursued this course in the last two decades and has emerged as the leading nation of South America, they said.
The conference on Pakistan-Brazil relations was jointly organised by the Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI) and the Brazilian embassy, said a press release issued by the institute.
Brazilian ambassador Alfredo Leoni, who has played a proactive role in development of economic, trade and cultural relations between Brazil and Pakistan, said that nine bilateral agreements have been signed between the two countries and a number of others are being negotiated that covered political, economic, cultural, scientific and technological endeavours, as well as defence.
He also mentioned the new education project under which placements were being offered to Pakistani students to study in top Brazilian universities.
Eminent industrialist Dr Kamal Monnoo mentioned a 2008 report of the Commission on Growth and Development that identified five main characteristics of high growth countries: one, engagement with global economy, importing technology and knowledge and exporting goods to the global market; two, stable and predictable macroeconomic policies; three, high saving and investment rates; four, a well managed market system that provided proper price signals and relatively clear property rights; and five, strong political foundations.
He said Brazil had shown what a country could do and Pakistan needed to learn from its economic soft model.
In his detailed presentation on trade and investment cooperation between Brazil and Pakistan Mr Jamil Ahmad, chairman Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industries trade delegation, recommended ethanol production, renewable energy, hybrid seed production, bio fuels, Flex fuel technology among areas that had great potential for cooperation between the two countries.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 11th, 2012.
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"Soft Power key to progress" Rather than trying too hard to project soft power which is non existent, no films, no TV serials worth while, no culture and only conspiracy theories which no body outside the country are interested in. A simple act of common sense would in itself be a big soft power and that is stop producing terrorists and sending them across. Also stop hosting terrorists from all over the world. Pakistan is no nursery for them, The image/ soft power will automatically improve. But is any body in the higher echelon listening.... Rgds